Environmentally safe methods for the control of plant pests using non-toxic agents represent ecologically sound alternatives to the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, miticides, adjuvants for crop-care chemicals and the like. Damage caused to the environment, including natural aquifers and animal and plant species due to runoff of these chemicals is an ecological problem faced by virtually every country in the world. This environmental damage leads to enormous difficulties reflected in, for example, increased health care costs and ecological harm. There is a significant unmet need for environmentally safe methods for the control of pests using agents having low, or no phytotoxicity, but which have high activity against target pests.
The need in the industry is for environmentally safe methods for the control of pests through, in the first instance, the efficient application of pesticides without resulting in phytotoxicity, and additionally by obtaining a complete coverage of the foliage and fruit. In the second instance, lower spray volumes save on refilling time of the spray tank, resulting in more spraying time compared to refilling time. This leads to more efficient use of equipment and fuel and operator time. It also saves on energy needs by either having less volume of spray solution to pressurize or in other instances, eliminating the need for air fans delivering huge volumes of high speed air flow.